Amid the Deadly Silence
by Dani Marie
Summary: Sequel to Amid the Falling Snow. Draco and Hermione must fight to keep their love alive.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue:**

Hermione and Draco had been engaged for six months, and during that time, they planned their wedding. When she told Ginny, Harry, and Ron, they were surprisingly happy for her. She was happier than she had ever been, and with the man she was meant to be with forever.

Draco had transformed into a wonderful person. Though he still had his Slytherin moments, and he was usually only sweet and generous to Hermione, he had changed. And she loved him even more for it. She was going to spend the rest of her life with Draco Malfoy. If someone had told her that when she first met him, she would have laughed and hexed them into oblivion; now, she couldn't see it any other way. She truly cared for the beautiful blond.

Their wedding was set for December twenty-fifth, and Hermione was excited as ever. Though her father wasn't going to be there to walk her down the aisle, she had asked Mr. Weasley if he would have the honour of doing it. When she'd asked him, tears streamed from his eyes and he'd accepted immediately. She was sad that her parents weren't alive to see their daughter marry, but she knew that if they were there, they'd be proud of her. She was leading a happy life, and she knew it was exactly what they had wanted for her.

"Hermione, love, I've got coffee and blueberry muffins," Draco announced as he sat down next to her, bringing her away from her deep thoughts.

"Lovely," Hermione answered absentmindedly, kissing him.

Draco started to cut the tops off of the muffin. Hermione watched in wonder; he didn't like the bottom of the muffin. She laughed lightly and observed him. Draco glanced up with a puzzled look on his face.

"What in Merlin's name are you laughing at?" he questioned.

"You eat the same muffins everyday, and every time you cut the tops off. You don't find that a little funny?" she asked, stifling a giggle.

Draco frowned. "No, not really. The bottoms are burnt. Why would I want them?"

Hermione just stared and smiled again. "I love you, Draco."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, love. It never does get old, does it?" he wondered aloud.

"You'll always be so self-contained, won't you? Always looking in the mirror, admiring your gorgeous face and beautiful body…" Hermione trailed off, eyeing him.

"Ah, so you've noticed, have you? I was under the impression you loved me for my personality," Draco teased.

"Well, no, not at all, actually. You're lucky you have such a pretty face," Hermione joked, "or I wouldn't have ever given you the time of day!" She grinned slyly.

"Oh really? I'm pretty, now, am I? And all this time, I thought I had a beautiful face and a gorgeous body fit for a god…" Draco continued, drawing his face closer to hers.

"Yeah, I'd say that's about right," Hermione whispered, kissing him.

"Are we skipping breakfast, then, and going straight to dessert?" Draco asked mischievously, winking at her.

"Only if you want," Hermione whispered, leaning in to kiss him again. And then, there was a knock at the door. They both groaned.

"Who in the bloody hell would call at this hour of the morning?" Draco grumbled as he grudgingly moved towards the door. He opened it, glaring madly at the person on the other side. "What do you want?"

Hermione tried to see who it was, but Draco blocked the doorway so she couldn't see. "Who is it," she called out to him.

"Some man named Greg. Says he knows you…rather well," Draco drawled, slamming the door.

"What are you talking about, Draco? I don't know anyone named-" Hermione caught a glimpse of the man in front of her and instantly remembered him as one of the men she had dated after her original break-up with Draco.

"I think you know very well what I'm talking about, Granger. He misses you," he stated harshly, holding up a bouquet. "And look, he brought you lilies. Wasn't that sweet of him?" Draco strode over to the garbage can and tossed the flowers callously inside.

"What? Draco, listen, it's nothing like you think it is," Hermione stood, trying to explain. "We dated a long time ago. Long before you and I bumped into each other-"

"No, no. Please, say hello to your _friend_. I have to get to work," Draco snapped, pushing past the man still standing in the doorway and slamming the door again.

Hermione stared at the spot where Draco had just stood. He was so stubborn. She finally walked over and opened the door to Greg. "What could you possibly be doing here?"

"I missed you, and I thought… If I had known that, uh," he faltered, trying to find the right words.

"If you had known that I had a _fiancé,_ you wouldn't have come, is that it?" Hermione snapped at him.

"I heard you were getting married. I wanted to, er, see how you were doing," he answered uneasily.

"You wanted to try and get back with me." Hermione interpreted, rolling her eyes and pointing to the door. "Don't let the door hit you on the way out, Gregory. You are absolutely despicable!"

After Greg left, she picked up the mess Draco had left on the coffee table. It would all blow over soon, she told herself. He couldn't honestly think that she'd leave him for some pathetic man. She loved Draco, and only him. Why did he have to get so angry?

She could hardly believe that he was so hard-headed that he wouldn't even listen to her side of the story! He made her so irate sometimes! Taking a deep breath, she got dressed and Apparated to Draco's shop to try a fix the situation. When she looked through the door of the apothecary, Draco was sitting sullenly at the front desk, eyeing a particular potion with disgust. When she walked in, he looked up, and when he only saw her, he continued to stare at the potion as if he was trying to light it on fire.

"Draco, listen," she started, walking to the desk and grabbing his hand. "There's nothing happening between Gregory and me. Even when we were dating he meant nothing to me. I love you, and only you."

Draco snatched his hand away and stood up, walking into the back of the shop. Hermione stood immobile, feeling helpless as she watched him walk away. After a moment, she turned to leave, rendering trying to convince Draco to believe her as a pointless task.

"Hermione, wait," his voice called after her.

Hermione stopped in her tracks, not turning around.

"I'm sorry," he said, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her.

Hermione smiled softly, even though she knew he couldn't see her. "Why do you get so angry all the time, Draco? You should trust me."

Draco shrugged. "I'm an ass, you know that."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh. She turned around to see Draco's face contorted into the same sort of smile. "Well, you know it's true," he told her. "I'd like to hear anyone deny it."

"I don't think anyone would," she replied.

"So, we're alright, then?" he asked her, daring to move in closer proximity to her. When she didn't move away, he took that as a yes and kissed her. "I'll always love you, you know."

"I know. I'll love you-" Hermione wasn't able to finish what she was saying, for there was a sudden commotion outside of the shop. "What in Merlin's name is going on?"

The two rushed outside to see hooded figures slowly moving towards the centre of Diagon Alley. The exchanged worried glances and pulled their wands out from their cloaks. They hadn't cast any spells toward anyone yet, but it was only a matter of time. Nearby shoppers were running from stores, Disapparating as fast as they could. Women grabbed their children and men hurriedly closed their shops. There were a few, like Hermione and Draco, who had their wands out, staring worriedly at the ever-approaching shadows in the distance.

"Why aren't there any Aurors around?" Hermione whispered at him. "There are always one or two patrolling."

"This isn't a good sign," Draco muttered thoughtfully. He squinted his eyes to get a better look at the dark-clothed wizards, and furrowed his brow in displeasure. Raising his voice he said, "They're Death Eaters."

"Death Eaters?" one of the remaining people called out. "I thought You-Know-Who was defeated!"

"He was," Draco responded dolefully. "They've found a new leader by the looks of it."

"A new leader? What does this mean for us?" the man asked.

"Nothing good," Malfoy affirmed. "Someone needs to alert the Ministry."

"I can do it," another man called out. "I'll send out my Patronus."

There was a scream, and someone fell with a thud to the ground. Hermione turned around and saw a woman who, it seemed, had fainted. She was about to rush over to the woman when Draco grabbed her arm.

"You can't just leave. I don't want to lose you," he told her. His eyes were dark, unlike his usual silver, with worry.

Hermione looked up at him, pleading. "I can't leave her there! I've got to help her! I'll be fine. I'll Disapparate her to St. Mungos and be right back."

"I don't want you to get hurt," he whispered. "How will I know if you make it alright?"

"I'll be fine," she answered quietly, kissing him lightly. With one last look at Draco, she rushed over to the woman.

Meanwhile, Draco and a few others cast a shield in front of them, trying to delay the Death Eaters from entering. Hermione looked over nervously, gently picked up the woman and Disapparated to St. Mungos. She hurried through the glass window and through the halls. She ran up to the desk, looking around frantically.

"This woman's fainted. There are Death Eaters everywhere and I had nowhere else to take her! Please, can you put her somewhere safe?" Hermione asked.

The woman at the desk raised her eyebrows. "What? Is this some kind of joke? Death Eaters, everywhere? Maybe you should be the one who stays here, not that woman."

"I'm not mad, if that's what you mean. They're in Diagon Alley! Please, just tell me where I can put her. I have to leave immediately…"

"I'll take her," the woman replied dully. "You go on, dear. She'll be alright here."

"Thank you!" Hermione cried. She hurried away and when she got outside of the hospital, she Apparated back to Diagon Alley.

When she arrived, there were Death Eaters all over the place: there were some who were fighting with two or three wizards at once, some casting spells at everyone in their way. Hermione searched for some sign of Draco. She couldn't find him. A hooded man appeared in front of her. She quickly pulled out her wand and cried, "_Expelliarmus_!"

She missed by inches, and the hooded man sneered evilly. "You aren't very good at spell casting, are you Mudblood?"

"_Stupefy!"_ she shouted. It missed again. What was wrong with her? She couldn't afford to cast useless spells!

"_Crucio!"_ the Death Eater shouted. Hermione reacted quickly and jumped out of the way. "Ah, sneaky are we? No matter. I'll soon have you and the rest of those Mudbloods locked up."

Hermione ran, not trusting herself to cast any more spells. They rendered her useless if she couldn't even aim correctly.

"_Incarcerous_!" he cried after her. Suddenly, thick ropes wrapped themselves around her and she fell to the ground. He soon caught up with her and lifted her up with his wand. "That was easy. I expected you to put up more of a fight, Mudblood."

"Let me go!" she hissed, angrier with herself than anyone else. Why wasn't she able to cast spells correctly? More importantly, how was she going to get herself out of the mess she was in?

The man laughed and waved his wand. Hermione soon fell to the ground again, and everything was dark.

Draco searched around the now deserted Diagon Alley. The Death Eaters left just a few minutes before, and he still hadn't found Hermione. He was trying to make sense of what had happened. They came, started casting spells at them, but only captured certain people. The others, like Draco and the man he had answered to earlier, were unharmed and left confused. Why had they come? Were they looking for something in particular?

His thoughts wandered back to Hermione. He hadn't seen her come back from St. Mungos, and Draco hoped that she had been smart enough to stay hidden. With that thought, he Disapparated to St. Mungos, thinking that she may have stayed there. When he arrived, he hurried toward the main desk.

"Excuse me, but have you seen a bushy-haired witch around here?" he asked desperately.

The woman nodded. "She left here about an hour ago. She was a bit mad, you see. Talking about Death Eaters and such. She left a woman in my care."

"Are you positive she left? Did she tell you where she was going?" he questioned.

"She said something about Diagon Alley. That's all I heard," the woman replied. "Have you lost her?"

"If I hadn't, would I be asking you where she is?" Draco snapped, storming away.

He fell into a hard, overstuffed waiting chair and crossed his arms. Where could she be? The Death Eaters couldn't have taken her, could they? She knew how to defend herself, so why was he worried? She was probably at their flat right now, waiting for him to come back. Yes, that sounded reasonable enough. She was all right, he knew it. And even as he told himself this, he couldn't help but get the sneaking feeling that something was very, very wrong…

There was a sound of a metal gate slamming against more metal, a man grumbling as he made his way down the cells. Hermione jumped in alarm, unused to the sound of anything. She blinked her eyes, getting her eyes accustomed to the darkness. She had only been there for a few hours, and she wondered how she was going to get out of the mess she had gotten herself into.

She could end up in the cell forever if fate would have it. She shrugged off this idea immediately. She would find a way out. After all, she had been the smartest witch of her year when she'd attended Hogwarts. If only she was as confident as that girl was then. She could have gotten herself out of the mess right then and there. But there was that thing with her wand…why couldn't she defend herself? She knew there was something wrong, but she just couldn't figure out what it was…

"Are you sure? Snape said on his orders she was to be…taken care of?" a voice growled in the darkness, sending chills up her spine.

"Positive. He needs that Malfoy kid for some kind of arrangement. He believes that sorry excuse for a witch will persuade him," the other man answered.

Hermione moved as close as she would dare, not wanting to be caught listening in on their conversation. She held her breath and waited for them to continue.

"Right, right. Can you believe that, Taut? Pureblood with Mudblood? He's putting Lucius to shame, that boy is. He was taught better than that, surely," the man hissed, sounding repulsed at the thought.

"Draco has just as much mud in his blood as that stupid girl if he's dating her. Snape'll put him in his place," said the man called Taut. "What do you reckon he'll do with the girl once he's got Malfoy?"

"Toss her back in here, where she belongs. Maybe even give her to Greyback," the other man laughed. Hermione could almost feel the evil grin that was on his face, and she didn't like it one bit.

The metal door of the cell slammed open, revealing two shadowy figures. One grabbed Hermione roughly by the elbow, dragging her out and through the many cells. She tried to pull away, but the man was much stronger than she was and it was foolish to continue to tire herself out. Finally, they ended up in front of a shabby, dark looking house, and the other man knocked loudly.

"Leave the girl," a nasally voice replied from the other side. "You go back to the cells."

The man holding her grunted, opened the door, and after tossing her inside, shut the door to leave. Hermione glared venomously at the now-shut door and dusted off the dirt that had accumulated itself on her clothes. She looked around the room. It was almost as shabby as the outside: it was bare except for a few pieces of worn out furniture, and there were candles flaring to light up the room. There was dust inhabiting every surface, every nook and cranny.

"Hello, Ms. Granger," the cold voice greeted. "Nice of you to come by."

Hermione turned to see Snape, smiling evilly down at her. He stretched out his hand in attempt to help her up, but she just stared at it as if it were poisonous. "I don't bite," he told her, smirking.

Instead of taking his hand, she pushed herself up abruptly and moved closer to him so that her eyes were almost level with his. "What do you want with Draco?" she demanded.

"Why do you think that I would want Malfoy? It's you that's here, not him," Snape answered suspiciously.

"I overheard those men talking. You're trying to use me to get to Draco," she snapped. "And let me tell you something. It's not going to work. Draco's smarter than that. He knows you wouldn't hurt me."

"Oh, but wouldn't I?" he replied smoothly, tapping his fingers against the lopsided table. "You don't know why I need him so badly. I might resort to the worst."

Hermione said nothing, staring at him and wondering what she should do. Tap, tap, tap.

"Such a dilemma. Whatever will you do?" he said mockingly. Tap, tap, tap.

Hermione averted her gaze, jumping back whenever he would suddenly tap on the table. She needed more time to think. She needed a diversion to give her a little more time. Tap, tap, tap.

"A diversion, Granger? How…original of you. You won't be able to fool me," he replied dully, as if he was bored. "Perhaps there's something you want in return for Malfoy? Something…valuable? Your life, perhaps?"

"I'd rather die than give you what you want," she retorted.

"That could be arranged, if needed. No matter. We'll be contacting Draco anyway. He'll know you're here, and he'll come to save you. We were hoping that you'd cooperate, but since you do not seem to want to, your life will be a grave one…

"You could have had better. We could have protected you against new Muggleborn laws. You'll have to live separately from those of us who don't have tainted blood. You will live with your kind," he told her, not bothering to hide the content on his face.

Hermione thought quickly. If she could get Draco here, and then find a way to get him out, they could escape. But what if she couldn't? What if whatever the Death Eaters were going to do to Draco would kill him? He'd be dead, and she'd be alone. Should she risk it? Well, she thought bitterly, I don't really have much of a choice.

"Alright, fine. I'll help you get Draco, but you have to do something for me..."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1: Magic Drained**

Draco sat on the lumpy, hard chair in the hospital staring at the parchment in his shaking hands. He had read it about five times, but he still couldn't make sense of what the ending meant. It read:

_Draco,_

_Please come to the address enclosed. I couldn't get back to Diagon Alley, so I Apparated to an old shack. I'm all right, but please do hurry. _

_Hermione_

_P.S. Shadows in the Dark _

There was something behind the ending, but he just couldn't figure it out. Was she trying to tell him something? And if she was, how were four simple words going to give away a message? And why enclose a message? Was she in trouble? This worried Draco, and he was at a loss as to what he should do. He could go to this shack, assuming it wasn't a trap, or he could find a way to decipher those words to figure out what they meant. But if Hermione was in danger, he didn't want to waste any more time than he had already.

Going on a whim, he pulled out his wand and tapped the paper, saying, "Shadows in the dark." All of a sudden, words starting forming under the original writing.

_Don't come alone. Bring along Aurors or anyone you can find. I'm with Snape…and other Death Eaters. They want you for something…Here's the plan. Have whomever you end up getting surround the area and you should enter alone. It's the shack in the middle. Snape will be here and he promised not to kill you. Though I don't trust him, it's all I could do. Be sure to go over some kind of signal with the others so they'll know to come when you need them. Oh…Snape is coming back. Be careful…_

Draco stared at it and he wondered why he felt so surprised at those words. Of course Snape had something to do with it. At least she had found a way to communicate with him without anyone knowing. He probably would have gone and gotten himself in a mess. Thinking quickly, he Apparated to Harry's house, determined to round up as many people as he could.

He arrived at the front door and knocked loudly. The door opened, and a smiling Ginny opened the door. "Hello, Draco. Have you and Hermione stopped by for a visit?" she greeted.

Draco moved past her, searching the room for Harry. "Where's Potter?" he questioned.

"He's in his study. Why, has something happened?" she answered, a worried look spreading across her face.

Instead of answering, Draco stormed upstairs and opened a door on the right without knocking. Inside, a baby was now crying, and Draco quickly shut the door again. The last thing he needed was some crying baby keeping him from going through the plan.

"What do you want Draco?" Harry asked from behind him. "What's so important that you find the need to wake up poor Arabella?" Draco turned around.

"Sorry, but that'll have to wait. Hermione's in trouble. Snape has her," Malfoy answered. "Diagon Alley was attacked. I can't believe you didn't hear anything about it…"

"Diagon Alley? When did this happen? Who's done it?" Harry demanded.

"The Death Eaters…they're back! Harry, listen to me. I need as many people as you can get your hands on. We've got to stop them and get Hermione."

"I'll do my best. Where is she?" Harry replied after a moment.

Draco gave him the address. Harry quickly Disapparated, leaving Malfoy with Ginny and a crying baby.

"Draco, do you want something to drink? Some tea perhaps?" Ginny asked quietly.

"No, no thanks," he replied.

Draco waited for five minutes before Harry returned. "Draco, I've gathered up a few Aurors. It's the best I could do. There are others on missions that I couldn't just pull them out of."

The blonde nodded in understanding and quickly Apparated near the shack Hermione had described to him. A rush of cold air met his skin, causing Draco to shiver. There was a slight wind blowing that made the leaves on the trees sway. After pulling his cloak closer to him, he pulled his wand out, lifted his head slightly and walked towards the shack that was now in view.

As Draco moved closer to the shabby looking shack, he could hear whispers all around him, which caused him to grip his wand tighter. When he got to the door, he looked back, hoping that the plan would work and he would be able to get Hermione safely. His hand reached towards the doorknob, but stopped and hovered over it as if it were a snake that would sink its venom into him at any moment. He breathed deeply and put his hand to it. Before he knew what was happening, he was pulled by an unknown force into the air. He felt himself being drained of all energy and somehow landed in a dark, cell like room.

Trying to grasp some kind of clue as to what had just happened, he glanced around the room. It seemed impossible to do so as it was so dark he couldn't even see himself. After cursing to himself, he heard a whimper near his left. Was there someone else in this room with him? He tried to see some kind of figure in the darkness, but failed. After a moment of hesitation, he whispered a small hello. No one answered. He tried again. He sighed and moved away, and then heard another whimper.

"Hello?" he said again, this time slightly agitated. "Please answer me if you can hear me!"

"I…c-can hear y-you," a girl's voice answered between sobs.

"Are you alright?" Draco asked her, inching closer towards where he thought she was.

"I think s-so," came her feeble reply. "Who a-are you?"

"I'm Draco," he answered, giving her a smile. He realised it did no good considering she couldn't see him. "What's your name?"

"R-Rose." The girl gave a small snivel and Draco could feel her next to him. Though it was dark, her eyes shined like the moon on a dark night. Despite her sadness, her eyes seemed the opposite, showing only happiness. This deeply puzzled him, but he said nothing about it. Instead, he needed to find out how she got here.

"How did you get here?" he questioned.

The girl gave a small shudder and sighed before she spoke, this time with more stability than before. "I was with my parents. We were in Diagon Alley shopping for school supplies. It was going to be my second year at Hogwarts, and my parents wanted to get me a broom so I could be like Harry Potter... So we were in the broom shop and then there was a loud bang and everyone started screaming and running. My father ran outside to see what was going on and…" The girl then let out a sob and Draco felt helpless. After a moment, she took in a deep breath and continued.

"And a green light shot across the window and I watched as my father fall to the ground. A girl appeared beside him instantly, as if out of nowhere, and tried to cast a spell at whoever had killed my father. Something was wrong with her wand…And my mother told me to run to the back of the store and to wait for her to come back. I did, and the last I saw of her was her running outside past another green light…

"I ran to the back and hid and that's where I stayed for about an hour. Eventually I heard footsteps and I thought it was my mother coming back. That was until they got heavier as they moved closer, and I realised I was in trouble. I tried to run, and when I reached the end of the room, I pulled out my wand and tried to cast a defensive spell on him. I know, that sounds stupid and pointless, and it was. But not because it was a bad spell, but because my wand wouldn't even cast a spell. It's like…all of its power was drained away. The man got closer and everything went black… The next thing I know, I'm here all alone," she finished.

"I'm so sorry," Draco answered. "About your dad and mum, I mean. I'll get us out of here, I promise. Wherever we are…"

"Thanks, Draco. You're a caring person," she replied, and Draco nodded before he realised that again she couldn't see him. "You know? There's something strange about your eyes. They're grey like a wolf's, but they don't have that cold feeling. They're sad, though. Are you sad?" she asked him.

Draco was taken aback by Rose's abrupt honesty and didn't know how to answer.

"I'm sorry," Rose told him. "I said too much. My mum always said that one day speaking my mind would get me into trouble." She laughed slightly, causing Draco to laugh as well.

"It's alright," Draco replied.

There were footsteps heard and Rose squealed and hurried off into a corner. They edged closer until they stopped in front of their room. Metal slammed against the wall and Draco found himself pulled up by his arm. He was thrown into another room before he could do anything and looked up to see Snape staring down at him.

"Draco," he said in a deep, nasally voice. "Nice of you to stop by."

"What do you want?" Draco demanded, pushing himself up.

"You know what I want," Snape replied simply. "And you will do what I ask or…" He moved his hand towards where, Draco saw with a pang of fear, Hermione was hung against the wall by chains. "Well, she won't be alive much longer."

Draco stared at Hermione sadly. Her lifeless body hung low and her eyes were closed, as if she was in a deep sleep. There were gashes on her arms and face, and it took everything Draco had in him not to run over to her.

"If you join us, you and the Mudblood will not be harmed and she'll be free to go live her miserable life as a worker. If you don't…Well, you'll just have to join anyway. I made an Unbreakable Vow with her that I may not harm you, but that doesn't mean I can't kill her, or force you to join the Death Eaters. What say you, Malfoy? What side are you on?" he questioned.

Draco reached for his wand, which he was surprised to find was still there. He raised it, but Snape stared at it and laughed.

"That won't do you any good," Snape told him coldly. "You power was drained as soon as you touched that doorknob."

"I'd rather die than join with you, Snape. Why can't you get it through your _fucking_ head?" Draco snapped. "And you will not harm Hermione. You touch her and I'll kill you with my bare hands if I have to!"

"So naïve, Draco, even now. You think that you could stand a chance against power? You're lacking logic, Malfoy," Snape mused. He then raised his wand and pointed it towards Hermione. "Say goodbye, Draco."

Draco ran in front of her. "Don't touch her!" he shouted, his eyes blazing with fury.

Snape suddenly flew backwards and hit his head against the wall, his eyes fluttering shut instantly. Draco took a step back, shocked at what he had just done. He didn't have much time to think because he wanted to get Hermione to safety. Draco quickly searched for the keys, and unlocked the chains binding her. He carried her out of the shack and ran to where Harry had said the Aurors were going to be. There were none in sight, and looking back regretfully as he realised he couldn't keep his promise to Rose, Draco Apparated to St. Mungos.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2: The Wrath of the Death Eaters**

Hermione opened her eyes to find light shining through them. From her surroundings she concluded that she was in a hospital room. Why, she had no idea. She couldn't remember much of anything. She looked to her right and saw a sleeping Draco and smiled. Finally, something familiar.

She shifted slightly in her bed, causing Draco to stir and sit up. When he looked up and saw her, he gave her a big smile.

"I was wondering when you'd wake. You've been sleeping for days," he told her, rubbing her hand affectionately.

"What happened?" she asked him. "I can't seem to remember."

"A lot, actually," he answered.

Draco went on to tell her everything that'd happened, from the moment at Diagon Alley where she had disappeared, to her being lifeless on the chains in Snape's shack. And while Hermione listened to Draco's story, she started to remember everything that had happened. When he finished, she looked over at him.

"They've drained all of the Muggleborns' power. They plan…they plan to…treat us as they did the house elves… We're not allowed to even speak to "_real" _wizards and witches… We're going to live in a separate part of town, apart from everyone, and they're going to make us work like house elves… We're going to be sold off and worked to death!" Hermione explained to him, sobbing. "Draco…what's going to happen to me?"

Draco put his thumb to her cheek and wiped the tears away. "Nothing's going to happen. I'll make sure of it. You're safe."

"How can you stop it? You're only one person! There are only so many wards and spells you can do, Draco. The Death Eaters will do what they have to, to be sure all the dirty blood is washed away, and that means killing whoever gets in their way..." Hermione breathed in deeply and averted her gaze. "No, Draco, I really don't think you'll be able to do anything when the time comes."

"Hermione, everything will—"

"Don't! Don't say it, Draco. Please," Hermione whispered, "don't."

"How can I not, Hermione? I can't just say everything's going to be bad. I know it will be! But we can't just say that. That's not going to help anything," Draco replied, his temper rising.

She stayed silent and looked over at him again. "Do the healers know who I am? I'm probably being searched for now."

"I'm sure they wouldn't say anything…"

As if on cue, the door opened and a man in a long, black cloak with a large stack of papers marched in. "Hermione Jean Granger?" the man asked in a stern voice.

Hermione gave Draco a worried glance and then nodded at the man. "I have orders to remove you from the vicinity and to a separate part of town," the man said.

"Who gave you these orders?" Draco demanded.

"I am not at liberty to say, Mr. Malfoy. Mudblood, get changed and come with me," he answered.

"She's not a MUDBLOOD and she's not going anywhere," Draco shouted at him.

"She is and she will. All the Muggleborns are being removed from society and auctioned off as workers. You better watch your back, Mr. Malfoy, or your fate will be the same," the man told him.

"Draco," Hermione whispered. "I think I should go with this man."

"What? No, Hermione, I can't have you—"

"No, Draco, I have to go," she answered. She got up from her bed, went into the bathroom to change, pulled on her sweater and went to bid Draco goodbye. "Don't worry," she whispered in his ear as she hugged him. "Everything will be fine. I'll be fine.

"I love you, Hermione," he replied quietly.

"I love you, too. Just promise me—promise me that you'll come back for me," she said, a tear sliding down her face.

"I promise," he answered, kissing her cheek. "Just…be careful."

"Ahem, Ms. Granger, if you do not come with me now…" the man in the cloak warned.

She nodded and turned to him. With a swish of his wand, he had tied her hands together. As she was pushed out the door, she took one last look back and smiled at Draco. With a pop, his face disappeared from view and a large concrete fence came to be in front of her. To Hermione, the outside reminded her very much of a prison. As the man led her along and through the gates, she was convinced it _was _a prison, only instead of criminals, it was just for Muggleborns. She was led through rows and rows of cells, all of them full of sad looking men, woman, and children. The cloaked man stopped abruptly and Hermione slammed into him.

"Stupid girl!" he cried. His wand was raised and he was about to cast a spell on her when a hand grabbed the man's arm.

"Now, now, Helms, she's just a silly Mudblood. Don't waste your magic on her," a cold voice coaxed. Hermione recognised him as Lucius Malfoy. "You're wanted in row seventeen. There's some trouble going on. I'll take care of this one."

"Right, Malfoy." The man nodded and left.

Lucius turned to Hermione and smirked similarly to how Draco would have to her so many years ago. "Ms. Granger. So lovely to see you," he greeted snidely.

"I'm sure," she replied. "Please just let me in so I don't have to talk to you anymore."

"I don't think that's the way you should speak to me. I am in charge here, and you don't want to get on my bad side," he told her. He opened the cell. "Be on your guard, Ms. Granger. Good day."

Hermione sat on the hard, dirty floor and watched him go. When he left, she pulled her knees in and let the tears fall down her face and onto the ground.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3: An Unexpected Flower**

A black cloak swayed behind the man hiding inside it as he passed through a crowd of people. They looked at him curiously, but continued to go about their business. The blonde man continued down the road to a shabby shack and pulled out a long, wooden object and rapped twice upon the door. Replacing the shack was a large, concrete wall stretching across a deserted field. Two large doors opened, and the man walked in, whispered something to a guard, and was prompted to follow.

He moved through the cells, trying his best to ignore the calls directed towards him. He finally ended up at the end with another large door, where the guard knocked twice and left. The tall blonde entered into a dark room.

"I was wondering when you'd be coming here," a voice echoed from the room. "I was expecting you sooner."

"I didn't want to be here," the man answered, "but I have no other choice."

"Very good choice, Draco," the voice replied. "I assume you're going to give me what I want?"

"Yes," Draco said, looking down at the ground.

"Very well," the man answered. "Myers, would you escort Draco to hall eight?"

The guard nodded gruffly and motioned for Draco to follow. He looked behind him as the greasy-haired man known as Snape disappeared from view. Knowing he had to be quick, he summoned the guard's wand and pointed it at him. He then stunned him, along with the guards nearby so that he could have a chance to get Hermione out of this place. He moved swiftly through the halls and cells, searching for any sign of her. He passed through another hall with children, and it took every bit of him to walk away from them.

"Draco!" a girl's voice called to him. Hermione?

Draco turned around and saw a small, blonde-haired girl waving towards him. "Rose?"

"You remember! Draco, can you get me out of here?" she asked quietly.

His heart went out to the young girl. He had to make a decision, and make it fast. If he were to just get Rose, the other children would want to get out. Could he risk that? Could he handle leaving all those children behind? He could come back for them soon. He just needed more time…

He Apparated into the cell, looking around at the other children. "Rose, grab onto my arm tightly, and don't let go. I'm going to get you out of here."

The young girl giggled. "I've Apparated before, Draco. Don't worry about me."

Draco gulped and nodded before Disapparating from the cell. When they reached the outside again, he picked her up and started to run, searching desperately for Hermione's cell. When he reached hall 100, the rows ended. Had he reached the end? He couldn't have…Hermione wasn't in any of them! Where could she be? He looked around desperately, trying to think of what he should do.

"Draco…I hear footsteps," Rose whispered. Sure enough, there were guards running towards them. They were at a dead end and he couldn't turn back to continue searching for Hermione. After taking one look back, Draco quickly Apparated out of the Muggleborn camp, headed for Harry's home.

The windows were dark, and everything around the home was quiet. Were they even there? Draco knocked on the door. He waited a few moments, but no one answered.

"Do you live here?" Rose asked.

"No, but friends do. I hope they're alright," he replied quietly.

"I'm sure they all met at one house somewhere hidden," Rose told him cheerfully.

Draco looked at the child in amazement. Of course! The Burrow! Draco grabbed Rose and Apparated to the Burrow, where he hoped anyone was still there. He had nowhere else to go. The windows here were also dark, but again he still knocked on the door.

"Draco Malfoy? What's he doing here?" whispered a voice from the other side.

"He's dating Hermione," another replied casually.

"Since when?" a woman's voice demanded. "Don't tell me that's their daughter…"

"Mum, shouldn't we get the door instead of talking about his personal life?" a woman's voice Draco recognised as Ginny's said.

"Oh, right. Yes, of course. Draco dear, come on in!" the woman cried out.

Draco took Rose's hand and led her inside, where candles were lit all over the room. All of the Weasleys, plus Harry, their baby, and some woman Ron seemed to be smitten with were staring at him. Draco tried his best to ignore this and sat down in a nearby chair. They were still watching him. After a moment, he cleared his throat.

"You're all probably wondering why I'm here…" Draco started, looking at the curious people in front of him. No one said anything.

"Hello, everyone! I'm Rose!" Rose cried, breaking the awkward silence.

Harry moved forward, his hand outstretched towards her. "Hello Rose. I'm Harry," he replied with a smile. He then turned to Draco. "Who is she?"

"She's…uhh…" Draco looked down at the floor. He had an idea. "Everyone, this is Rose, my daughter."

Everyone's mouths dropped, their eyeballs practically popping out of their sockets. "Your daughter? You and Hermione…how?" Harry asked.

"No, no. With another woman. A pureblood," Draco answered. He looked down at Rose and mouthed that he'd explain everything later. She nodded her head and grasped his hand tighter.

"When did this happen?" Mrs. Weasley questioned.

"It was right after the first war. I didn't even know I had a daughter until a week ago. Her mum sent her to me, to keep her safe. See, she married a Muggle after giving birth to Rose. They assume she's a Muggleborn, so she sent her away," Draco explained.

The silence filled the room again, and Mr. Weasley cleared his throat. "How 'bout some tea, Molly?"

"Yes, of course. I'll put on the kettle!" She shuffled from the room, probably grateful to get away from the silence.

"Does Hermione know about this?" Ginny asked boldly, sitting down in a chair beside him. Everyone followed suit, finding a chair around the table.

"No, she doesn't. I haven't spoken with her in days," Draco told her. "I went to get her tonight. I was going to give myself up for her, but I couldn't find her. I don't think she's in a cell like the rest, unless they've hidden her."

"How do you plan on getting her back?" Ron asked. Ginny whacked his arm.

"Ron, don't be an idiot," she snapped. "Here, put Arabella to sleep, will you? She's tired."

Ron reluctantly took his niece and grumbled all the way upstairs. "I have tea!" Mrs. Weasley cried, setting it in the middle of the table. Everyone took one to keep themselves busy.

"Draco," Rose said to him. "I'm sleepy. Can I go to sleep?"

"Of course! Come with me, Rose. I'll set you up in Ginny's old room," Mrs. Weasley said, ushering her to follow.

Rose hugged Draco and whispered, "Thank you." She hurried off upstairs, and Draco smiled.

When Mrs. Weasley came back down, Draco turned to her. "I didn't mean to just barge in and expect this from you. If you want, we can clear out tomorrow."

"Nonsense. You can stay as long as you need to. The sofa is all ready for you, whenever you're ready to sleep," she replied.

Such hospitality shocked Draco, but he nodded in thanks. Soon enough, everyone but Harry, Ginny, and Ron had gone to sleep, leaving an even more awkward silence.

"We're worried about Hermione," Harry said to Draco.

"I know that. I am too," he replied. Why were they telling him something so obvious?

"We're going to help you get her back," Ron told him with a biscuit in his mouth. "We can think of a plan."

"I think I'll be okay on my own, thanks," he replied. "If you'll excuse me, I'm dead tired. Goodnight."

"What a prick," Draco heard Ron say as he left. "He's wants all the glory, just as he always has."

Draco knew this wasn't true, and he was angry that they felt that way. He loved Hermione. Couldn't they understand that?

**Author's Note: For regular updates and news for this story, join the yahoo group! http://groups. **


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